


Bluebell Bane

by Miraphina Atherton (mew_tsubaki)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 03:44:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21009185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mew_tsubaki/pseuds/Miraphina%20Atherton
Summary: Regulus was smart enough to get into the cave—and he was smart enough to escape. But Death had other plans...





	Bluebell Bane

**Author's Note:**

> The Harry Potter characters belong to J. K. Rowling, not to me. For my twin, because we love Regulus and Sirius the most. B3 Read, review, and enjoy! Originally written for Morghen. Happy Christmas '11, Mor!

He knew everything. But he didn't know.

Regulus had made it into the cave. He had grabbed the locket and, though he couldn't destroy it—not yet—he had managed to take it. He had escaped Voldemort's attack and fought off Inferi. And only he could've done all this. Regulus hadn't been given enough credit. Even when Sirius had gone away, all their parents ever had talked about was Sirius. In the beginning, Sirius had been a rambunctious little prince to them. After Sirius had run away, he'd turned into the bane of their existence. But he was still the topic at the tip of their tongues.

He knew everything. But he didn't _know_.

Regulus hadn't done this to prove anything to anyone. He'd done it because—because…well, hell. Why _had_ he just risked his life taking something he couldn't even destroy? Was he seeing himself as some kind of hero of the world? Sure, Kreacher would see him like that. But Kreacher was loyal to him, to the only person who'd ever been kind to him. Sirius had thought Regulus evil for taking the Dark Mark and following their parents' orders. But evil people didn't say "please" and "thank you" to their house-elves.

He knew _everything_. But he didn't _know_.

Regulus sighed as he Apparated back to his home street. Sweet Salazar, he was exhausted… In the cover of night, he pushed himself forward, trying to use the last of his strength to make it to Twelve Grimmauld Place. He was almost there, even, when he stopped.

He knew _everything_. But he _didn't know_.

Out of the shadows, a black dog appeared, a blue flame near its head. Its eyes were dark and endless… Regulus grimly smiled. Go figure that Sirius would pick this moment to return home. Maybe he was hoping to talk things out with Regulus—because there never had been a chance of reconciliation between Sirius and their parents—or maybe he was coming to take Regulus into custody. After all, wasn't Sirius playing at being an Auror for the Order? And go figure that only Sirius could use a Bluebell Flame spell while in Animagus form.

He _knew everything_. But he _didn't know_.

Regulus drew closer to the townhouse, his eyes on the dog at all times. Regulus wished that Sirius would just shift and speak with him already; this was getting quite annoying—

He _knew everything_. But _he didn't know_.

The dog leapt without warning and knocked Regulus onto his back. Regulus blinked the stars from his eyes after hitting his head on a step and shook himself, the wind gone from his lungs after tumbling down the small set of stairs. Well, this wasn't going to be pleasant. Sure, he and Sirius had fought like cats and dogs their last few years at school, but taking it to a literal level was something else entirely. Regulus stood…only in time for the dog to come at him again and claw at him, sinking its fangs into Regulus' arm.

_He knew everything_. But _he didn't know_.

Regulus tried fending off the dog to no avail. His adrenaline couldn't build up quickly enough to replace his strength, and he was tired, so tired. Regulus used the last bit of his power to Send the locket into his room through the window. After that, the dog overpowered him, and he was left thinking that his brother, a brother he had hated but _loved_, had murdered him.

_He knew everything. But he didn't know._

He didn't know that it hadn't been Sirius. He couldn't recall the tales of Padfoots, of Black Dogs, of Oschaerts, of _Kluddes_ from school in time—the monsters who did the bidding of Death when Death had business elsewhere.

He didn't know this as the Kludde ripped him apart and devoured him in its Bluebell flames…and he'd never know.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, something very different from my other Xmas fics this year…*nervy lol*. Um, yeah. Mainly because Morghen loves hypotheses about how her Reggie might've actually died… And, no, that definitely wasn't Sirius at the end. It was, in fact, a Kludde, also called a Black Dog. They're from English lore, and are seen as a sign/messenger of Death. Now you know why the Grim was kind of a joke in PoA…and why Sirius is also really called "Padfoot."
> 
> Thanks for reading, and please review!
> 
> -mew-tsubaki :')
> 
> 2017 note: Okay, it's been 6 yrs, and I've lost count of the number of times I've written Reg's death/had it discussed in a fic, and that's all Mor's fault. :P Alas, this fic also sated me some, since I love mythology and symbology and couldn't resist the use of an actual Padfoot here. XD


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